Ericsson graduates first ESAP participants

The Nigerian office of Ericsson, has announced the graduation of its first set of Ericsson Skills Acquisition Programme (ESAP) graduates.

Disclosing this, the Manager; Marketing & Communications, Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Olabode Sowunmi, said that the proclamation heralds a climax of activities that began about a year ago.

He called to mind that in the third quarter of 2008, Ericsson had made spirited efforts to search for suitably qualified graduates across the country which included series of adverts in the national dailies.

“The concept is a calculated attempt to develop skills of local Nigerians and ultimately enable them to become experts in the technical and technologically evolving telecommunications sector of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry,” he said.

Sowunmi in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online stressed that it is expected that the graduates if not absorbed by the Ericsson would be well above their average counterparts thereby making them attractive ‘brides’ of the telecoms industry, as engineers, operators, analysts, regulators and even consultants of varying skill sets to other companies.

He further quoted the Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Leif Edwall, as saying that the concept of ESAP was not only educational.

“It is also a social responsibility response to the competence gaps we currently experience in Western Africa,” he declared.

He explained that as a concerned multinational company, Ericsson has a unique integrated approach to its operations which enables its staff to benefit from exposure to its activities in over 180 countries.

Emphasizing that as a structured training and development programme for graduates, ESAP maintains a framework where graduates from far and wide are made to undergo a detailed selection process breaking them into three categories; 1 to 3, which ranges from fresh to experienced hires.

On admission, he said, they are given an intensive suite of foundation including technical and soft skills courses with the focus on current technological realities.

Mr. Edwall equally said that “a mentorship programme of sorts is built into the scheme where the students go through the various departments for ‘on-the-job-training.’ This is an additional Ericsson innovation, which includes a process where they are attached to more experienced colleagues thereby adding more substance to their training and creating the well rounded foundation from which successful applicants can build a successful career.

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